A quicker alternative to more traditional funding methods, a Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) can allow merchants to sidestep the lengthy approval process of other loan types and borrow cash against future sales. In fact, an MCA isn’t technically a loan, but rather, as the name suggests, a cash advance.
Once you’ve qualified, your MCA provider will lay out in the advance agreement the amount of cash they are willing to advance, the term of the advance, the holdback, and the repayment structure. The holdback is the percentage of daily credit or debit card sales which are withheld to pay back the advance.
MCA providers evaluate risk differently than banks and other financial institutions. While your credit score may be important, they will evaluate the amount of cash they are willing to advance by reviewing your daily credit or debit card receipts to determine your ability to repay the loan.
There are two main advantages to an MCA over other types of traditional business financing. First, the holdback amount will be in direct proportion to sales. When business is booming, the debt will be paid down quickly, but if business is slow, you won’t find yourself struggling to come up with fixed payments. Additionally, collateral is not required for an MCA.
Examples:
- Purchase of stock for a retail operation
- Quick expansion capital
- Taking advantage of the opportunity to purchase inventory at a temporary discount
